The Midwich Cuckoos - Ideal Cast & Crew
These are the actors and actresses who I think would make an ideal cast & crew list for a new movie adaptation of John Wyndham's classic back-door alien invasion novel.
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- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Thomas William Hiddleston was born in Westminster, London, to English-born Diana Patricia (Servaes) and Scottish-born James Norman Hiddleston. His mother is a former stage manager, and his father, a scientist, was the managing director of a pharmaceutical company. He started off at the preparatory school, The Dragon School in Oxford, and by the time he was 13, he boarded at Eton College, at the same time that his parents were going through a divorce. He continued on to the University of Cambridge, where he earned a double first in Classics. He continued to study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, from which he graduated in 2005.
Whilst at University of Cambridge, he was seen by the Hamilton Hodell agency in the play "A Streetcar Named Desire" and was signed. Following this, he was cast in his first television role in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001). Hiddleston won his first film role as Oakley in Joanna Hogg's award-winning first feature, Unrelated (2007). His breakthrough role came when he portrayed the nemesis Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe feature film Thor (2011). He reprised the character in The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
He has also appeared in Steven Spielberg's War Horse (2011), The Deep Blue Sea (2011), Woody Allen's romantic comedy Midnight in Paris (2011), and the romantic vampire film Only Lovers Left Alive (2013). On television, he appeared on the BBC series The Hollow Crown (2012), in the adaptations of Shakespeare's "Henry IV" and "Henry V". In theatre, he has been in the productions of "Cymbeline" (2007) and "Ivanov" (2008). In December 2013, he starred as the title character in the Donmar Warehouse production of "Coriolanus" which played until February 2014. He won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play for his role in "Cymbeline" while also being nominated for the same award the same year for his role as Cassio in "Othello".Richard Gayford- Australian actress Maeve Dermody is the daughter of Susan Murphy Dermody, a film theorist, historian, and director. Her father is a psychologist. Dermody's family encouraged a love of literature and the arts, and supported performing as well - her mother gave the 5-year-old a part in her film Breathing Under Water (1991). Dermody attended Mosman High School in Sydney and had a near perfect UAI (final school exam score) of 99.79. During high school she was active in drama classes, as well as the Australian Theatre for Young People, and furthered her acting education with several courses at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney.
After graduating from high school, Dermody began getting roles in Australian television series such as All Saints (1998), and in short films. Her first major film role was in the independent thriller Black Water (2007), about a trio of people trapped in the mangroves of the Northern Territory by a menacing Saltwater Crocodile. Dermody's performance in "Black Water" earned her multiple nominations for Best Supporting Actress awards in the Australian film industry. Her next major film role was in Beautiful Kate (2009), for which she was again nominated for the AFI Best Supporting Actress Award.
Dermody is also active in the Australian theater, having appeared in such diverse productions as "Killer Joe" and "Measure for Measure," both in Sydney.
While actively engaged in her acting career, the tall, willowy Dermody continues to pursue a college degree in the fine arts. She was at one time romantically linked with Sam Worthington. She tends toward pescetarianism (eating fish but refraining from eating other animals).Janet Gayford - Actor
- Producer
One of England's most popular actors for more than four decades, Martin Shaw is noted for his versatility. He has featured in over 100 TV roles, his long TV career beginning in 1967 with the television episode Love on the Dole (1967). He achieved genuine stardom with The Professionals (1977), generally seen, along with The Sweeney (1975), as one of the two classic British action series to be spawned from the 1970s. Before that, Mr. Shaw had always been careful to be very different in each of his roles to avoid being typecast, and to spend long periods in the theatre.
His theatrical career has been very distinguished, with a string of West End successes, beginning in 1967 with the first revival of "Look Back in Anger" and most recently on Broadway as Lord Goring in "An Ideal Husband" which won him a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk award for Best Actor. The Professionals was an international hit, and brought him offers of similar roles. Never one to take the obvious route, Shaw refused them all, including the American series The Equalizer (1985), preferring variety of work to riches.
A rare television flop for Shaw was Rhodes (1996), a quickly forgotten mini-series about the highly controversial British imperialist Cecil Rhodes. Later projects have included a hospital drama, Always and Everyone (1999) from Granada, in which he plays consultant Robert Kingsford, and playing Adam Dalgliesh in the BBC adaptations of P.D. James's novels Death in Holy Orders (2003) and The Murder Room (2004).
He works almost exclusively in England, where he lives in a beautiful Quaker house in Norfolk, once owned by an ancestor of Abraham Lincoln. He is a pilot, and owns and flies a vintage biplane, a Boeing Stearman. Reticent about his private life, he dislikes interviews, and has little respect for the press.Gordon Zellaby- Cara was born in Yorkshire in January 1990 and attended Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Whilst there she won the part of Ivy in period drama 'Downton Abbey' and the school allowed her to finish her final year early in order to appear in the series. In 2012 she was a joint recipient of the Screen Actors' Guild award for the best ensemble cast in a television series, leaving the show in 2013. Since then she has made many television appearances, most notably in drama 'The Syndicate' and in romantic sitcom 'Together'.Ferrelyn Zellaby (later Hughes)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Joseph Maxwell Dempsie is an English actor, best known for his roles as Chris Miles in the E4 teen comedy-drama Skins (2007-2008) and Gendry Baratheon in Game of Thrones (2011-2013; 2017-2019). Dempsie's earlier acting credits include the medical dramas Peak Practice (2000), Doctors (2001-2003), and Sweet Medicine (2003), as well as the films One for the Road and Heartlands (2003). He also appeared in This is England '86 (2010) and This is England '90 (2015), Born and Bred, a BBC documentary-drama about Tony Martin, and as the villainous John in The Fades (2011).Lt. Alan Hughes- Lewis Rainer is known for A Hologram for the King (2016), Dracula (2013) and Death Comes to Pemberley (2013).Tom Trenton (New Character)
- Actress
- Producer
Phoebe Dynevor is a British actress born in Manchester, England in 1995. She is the daughter of actress Sally Dynevor and screenwriter Tim Dynevor. Phoebe attended Cheadle Hulme School where she landed her first professional acting job, Waterloo Road (2009) when she was fourteen. She has since had leading roles in major television series such as Snatch (2017-2018), The Village (2014) and Younger (2017-2019).Summer Oswald (New Character)- Amanda Abbington was born on 28 February 1974 in North London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Sherlock (2010), Crooked House (2017) and After You've Gone (2007).Col. Heather Wilcox (New Character)
- Robert Emms was born on 20 May 1986 in Horley, Surrey, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Chernobyl (2019), Andor (2022) and Happy Valley (2014).Nathan Stiles (New Character)
- Carrie Hope Fletcher is known for Les Misérables: The Staged Concert (2019), Caucasian Chalk Circle (2022) and Andrew Lloyd Webber & Carrie Hope Fletcher: Bad Cinderella (2021).Caitlin Evans (New Character)
- Actress
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rose Victoria Williams is an English actress from Ealing, London. She is best known for her work as Princess Claude in Reign and as Charlotte Heywood in Sanditon. Williams was born in Ealing, West London. Her mother worked as a costume designer and her father as a gardener. Her first job was at a clothing store in Dover Street Market when she was 17 years old. She studied fashion and decided at the age of 18 to pursue acting.Winona Lamb- Christine Bottomley was born in Rochdale, Lancashire on April 27th 1979 and grew up in a flat over the family's chemist shop. Here she began people watching and impersonating the regular customers and realised that she wanted a life of 'professional pretending'. She went to several local youth drama groups before embarking on a course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, from where she graduated in 2001. Shortly afterwards she was making her television debut in the soap 'Eastenders' and has subsequently cropped up in several popular television dramas, including 'Heartbeat' and 'The Innocence Project' though she probably gave her best performance as an abused wife, turning the tables on her bullying husband in the BBC mini-series 'The Street'.DCI Penny Oswald (New Character)
- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Tommy Knight was born on 22 January 1993 in Chatham, Kent, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007), Stitches (2012) and Doctor Who (2005).Ryan Oswald (New Character)- Alice Orr-Ewing was born on 7 July 1989 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Theory of Everything (2014), The Courier (2020) and Atonement (2007).Charlotte Stiles (New Character)
- Sara was born and raised in Edinburgh Scotland. After spending some time in England, she trained at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and made London her home. Her work has been diverse, ranging from classical tragic heroines like "Natalya Petrovna" in Turgenyev's "Month in the Country" for the RSC; Gwyneth Paltrow's overbearing sister in "Proof" for its London premiere; to comic characters like the louche "Stella" in the TV series Sugar Rush (2005).
Now based in Twickenham, she is separated from actor Aden Gillett, with whom she has 2 children.Angela Zellaby - Actress
- Writer
Katie Griffiths was born in 1989 in Chigwell, Essex, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Waterloo Road (2006), Hatfields & McCoys (2012) and Coming Down the Mountain (2007).Corporal Liz Durning (New Character)- Sabrina Bartlett was born on 12 September 1991 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Game of Thrones (2011), The Crossing (2014) and Bridgerton (2020).Amy Stockton (New Character)
- Caitlin Blackwood was born on 23 June 2000 in Northern Ireland. She is an actress, known for Doctor Who (2005), Sundown (2018) and Journey Bound.Ferrelyn's Alien Child (Sansa Zellaby-Hughes)
- Levi Miller is an Australian actor and model. He is known for playing Peter Pan in Pan (2015), Luke in Better Watch Out (2016), and Calvin in A Wrinkle in Time (2018). Miller was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. At the age of 5 or 6 he entered and won a drama competition with a Peter Pan monologue. He appeared in several Australian television commercials. Miller appeared in the film A Heartbeat Away (2011) and in short films such as Akiva (2010) and Great Adventures (2012). He was selected by the film's director Joe Wright for the role of Peter Pan in Pan. He appeared in Red Dog: True Blue (2016), where he played Mick. In 2015, he was named ambassador for Polo, the Ralph Lauren kids' fall campaign. In 2016, Miller starred as Luke in the psychological horror Christmas-themed film Better Watch Out where the young Australian actor's performance was highly regarded by film critics. He played Charlie Bucktin in the film adaptation of Australian novel Jasper Jones (2017). He played Calvin O'Keefe in the American fantasy adventure A Wrinkle in Time (2018).Summer's Alien Child (Jon Oswald)
- Charles Edwards was born on 1 October 1969 in Haslemere, Surrey, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), The Crown (2016) and The Duke (2020).Dr. Simon Blackmore (New Character)
- Art Parkinson was born on 19 October 2001 in Moville, County Donegal, Ireland. Art is an actor, known for Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), San Andreas (2015) and Game of Thrones (2011).Caitlin's Alien Child (Lucas Evans)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ramona had no acting training prior to her role on Outnumbered (2007), making her exactly what the producers were looking for. When Ramona was five, she was spotted by the script writer's wife at a birthday party and was immediately recommended for the role of "Karen" because of her "Interesting personality" and ability to be "sure of herself without being precocious". Ramona took on the role of "Karen Brockman" and, in 2007, five-year-old Ramona captured the hearts of people all over Britain with her quick wit and childish charm. Ramona can still be seen as "Karen" on the BBC1 today, three years after her debut.
In 2009, Ramona booked the role of "Imogen Pollock" in the made-for-TV Movie Enid (2009), detailing the life of children's writer Enid Blyton.
Later in 2009, Ramona became the first child to win the British Comedy Award for "Best Female Comedy Newcomer". Outnumbered (2007) also won two other comedy awards on the night, including "Best TV Comedy".
Ramona Marquez's father, Martin Marquez, and uncle, John Marquez, are both actors.Charlotte's Alien Child (Danni Stiles)- Chloe O'Malley was born on 16 November 2001 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress, known for The Strain (2014) and Northpole (2014).Amy's Alien Child (Taylor Stockton)
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Jakob Ulrich was born on 9 March 2001 in England, UK. He is an actor, known for Due Date (2010), The Girl on the Roof (2018) and The Wake (2017).Angela's Alien Child (Peter Zellaby)- Actress
- Additional Crew
Holly made her West End stage debut in London in the world stage premiere of Fatal Attraction at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Written by James Dearden and directed by Trevor Nunn. Holly played the role of Ellen Gallagher with the title casting including Mark Bazeley as Dan Gallagher, Kristin Davis as Beth Gallagher and Natascha McElhone playing Alex Forrest.Winona's Alien Child (Whitney Lewis)- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Ben Wheatley was born in May 1972 in Billericay, Essex, England, UK. He is a director and writer, known for Free Fire (2016), Kill List (2011) and Sightseers (2012).Director- Producer
- Editorial Department
- Additional Crew
His father was the film director Ralph Thomas who was best known for directing the 'Doctor' film series. His Uncle was Gerald Thomas, director of the "Carry On" film series. Films were part of Jeremy's life since childhood when holiday were spent on locations or in the studios. From the age of 10 his only ambition was to make films .Originally he wanted to be a director but ended up as a producer. He started from school working in the processing labs then a year later he was in the cutting rooms as an assistant graduating to editor. After helping director Phillipe Mora edit 'Brother Can You Spare a Dime' he went with him to Australia in 1974 and produced his first film. 'Mad Dog Morgan' which Phillipe directed. After 2 years he returned to Britain and put together 'The Shout' which won the 'Grand Prix de Jury at Cannes Film Festival and found himself on the producing circuit ranging from 'The Great Rock 'n; Roll Swindle' to 'bad Timing' to 'Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence .In 1985 he set up his own film distribution company -Record Releasing and took over the Gate Cinema in London's Notting Hill Gate and the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh. In 1986 he won the Vittorio de Sica prize while the following year he was invited to be a member of the Cannes Film Festival Jury.Producer- Producer
- Executive
- Writer
Anna Higgs is a creative leader working with the most exceptional storytellers to connect their work with audiences in myriad ways, along with a dedication to inclusion and equity at the highest strategic and operational levels across the broadest spectrum of our creative industries.
As Managing Director of Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, Anna leads a team of agents and executives who work with the most exceptional talent across film, theatre, TV and new media. Founded in 1989 and based in London, the fiercely independent global agency has an illustrious history, and represents many of the world's best-known writers, directors, playwrights, theatre creatives, literary properties and heads of department.
Because side hustles are all the rage, Anna is also a columnist for Creative Review, specialising in career coaching, workplace culture and career growth advice for creatives with the 'Ask Anna' monthly feature.
Prior to joining Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, Anna was Director of Entertainment Partnerships at Meta, and before that Creative Director at global culture channel NOWNESS, bringing the best emerging and established filmmakers together with bold audience strategies. During her time there, she developed, commissioned, produced and distributed dozens of series, hundreds of single films and curated thousands of acquired short films. She also spearheaded a move to 50/50 gender balanced commissioning across all editorial and branded work, as well as a strategic company restructure that led to a successful merger with China's Modern Media and Dazed Media Group.
Before NOWNESS, she was a commissioner and Head of Digital at Film4, leading cinematic innovation with projects including Ben Wheatley's A Field in England, Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard's 20,000 Days on Earth, Ken Loach's The Spirit of '45 and Lenny Abrahamson's Frank. This move built on a strong track record as an independent producer working across film, TV and digital projects.
Anna's work has seen her named as one Creative Review's 'Creative Leaders 50', alongside the likes of Felix Barret, Gorillaz and Maria Balshaw. In 2012 she was selected as one of the inaugural Time Out 'Culture 100', a celebration of the "innovators, visionaries and pioneers behind what's now and what's next. A search for the most original and influential people in the UK creative and media industries" alongside creative innovators such as Danny Boyle, Stella McCartney, Grayson Perry, Jonathan Ive, Zadie Smith, Thomas Heatherwick and Alan Rusbridger.Executive Producer- Actress
- Producer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carey Hannah Mulligan is a British actress. She was born May 28, 1985, in Westminster, London, England, to Nano (Booth), a university lecturer, and Stephen Mulligan, a hotel manager. Her mother is from Llandeilo, Wales, and Carey also has Irish and English ancestry.
Her first major appearance was playing Kitty Bennet in Pride & Prejudice (2005) alongside Keira Knightley, Judi Dench, and Donald Sutherland. Carey also played orphan Ada Clare in the BBC television series Bleak House (2005).
Carey has said that her passion and love for acting was first kindled at her old school Woldingham School, where she took part in a school production of "Sweet Charity" in her final year, and where she was also a student head of drama.
Carey is married to musician Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons.Executive Producer- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Sally Wainwright was born in 1964 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, UK. She is a writer and producer, known for Happy Valley (2014), Last Tango in Halifax (2012) and Gentleman Jack (2019).Screenplay- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
As Danny Elfman was growing up in the Los Angeles area, he was largely unaware of his talent for composing. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Danny and his older brother Richard Elfman started a musical troupe while in Paris; the group "Mystic Knights of Oingo-Boingo" was created for Richard's directorial debut, Forbidden Zone (1980) (now considered a cult classic by Elfman fans). The group's name went through many incarnations over the years, beginning with "The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo" and eventually just Oingo Boingo. While continuing to compose eclectic, intelligent rock music for his L.A.-based band (some of which had been used in various film soundtracks, e.g. Weird Science (1985)), Danny formed a friendship with young director Tim Burton, who was then a fan of Oingo Boingo. Danny went on to score the soundtrack of Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), Danny's first orchestral film score. The Elfman-Burton partnership continued (most notably through the hugely-successful "Batman" flicks) and opened doors of opportunity for Danny, who has been referred to as "Hollywood's hottest film composer".Music- Camera and Electrical Department
- Cinematographer
- Actor
George Richmond was born on 10 July 1971 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK. He is a cinematographer and actor, known for Children of Men (2006), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) and Rocketman (2019).Cinematography- Production Designer
- Art Director
- Art Department
Paul Kirby is known for Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Captain Phillips (2013).Production Designer- Editor
- Editorial Department
- Producer
Jon Harris was born on 11 July 1967 in Sheffield, England, UK. He is an editor and producer, known for Pistol (2022), The Dig (2021) and 127 Hours (2010).Editor